Adventures in Cooking – Week 9

Mar 11, 2012

This week I’ve been really lazy in the food department.  I pretty much lived off of leftovers, easy salads, and meals that took less than five minutes to prepare.  Which is why this week’s recipe is probably the easiest recipe I’ve done so far…chia seed pudding!  Now, for those of you who have not heard about chia seeds and their health benefits, I’m not surprised.  They are the latest craze for healthy eaters because these little seeds expand and become gel-like when they are introduced to liquids.  They are full of protein, antioxidants, and dietary fibers.

I was first introduced to these “super” seeds by one of my co-workers, Jamie.  Every afternoon he’ll add a bit of the chia seeds to his water bottle to stave off the afternoon hunger and he would often use them when he was training for the Kansas City Marathon last year.  Now, I’ll admit I’ve put off using these seeds as part of my daily diet, but I recently read a review on WebMD that basically said it was a great supplement and to get about 4 tablespoons a day.  I just might have to pick up a bag of my own the next time I go to Whole Foods.

Chia Seed Pudding

Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or your favorite alternative)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tbsp agave, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, or stevia to taste (I used real grade A maple syrup the first time and it came out too sweet to me)
• 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

Instructions:

• Mix all the ingredients together.  It make take a little time to incorporate the cocoa, but eventually it will.
• After everything is mixed, cover and store in the fridge for about 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove from the fridge and stir for another 20 to 30 seconds until everything is mixed together well.  You can also leave it in the fridge overnight and enjoy the next day.  The chia seeds continue to absorb the liquid they are in so you may need to water you pudding down with some more almond milk if you leave it until the next day.  You can top your pudding with fresh fruit or just eat it plain.

For the original recipe, visit the Oh She Glows blog.  Enjoy!